Applesnail.net

'Ey.. I'd like to begin this post by thanking all those concerned members for bringing to our attention the living conditions of our invertebrate friends in many petstores.. I completely agree that snails should be researched before being purchased(by stores) or customers.. Because it's not fair to the snail to bring it into an environment where no one knows how to care for him. But we also have to take into account.. That a snail is not a kitten, so the average pet store attendant probably doesn't know much about them. It's no excuse for the company not to train their employees properly, but I just think it would probably be more effective if we tried not to intimidate the employees. What I mean by this is.. For example, let's say a lady from our site goez into her LFS to buy a snail, and upon seeing that the tanks are overcrowded, polluted, and not very well-aerated.. She finds the manager of the fish department and says, "Do you have any idea that these snails are dying because of ________________. This is shameful. I demand that you do something immediately." And he just stares at her blankly and nods his head. This is the scenario that seems to be played out again and again, according to the members..

I think its important to try to make them understand in a way that doesn't turn them off.. That the snails in their store are in poor condition. How would you feel if a client came into your boss's business and started yelling at you because youre "ineffificient and inept" at whatever ure supposed to be doing, while they know your boss didnt even give you sufficient training..? Once again, Im not at all justifying negligence of petstores toward their animals, but I think it may make more of a difference if we would try to be more understanding toward the guys on the floor who we're dealing with. What do you think?

I think its important to try to make them understand in a way that doesn't turn them off

That is a problem, but something else also needs to be taken into account: many pet store employees just don't care. They are doing it as a temporary job, and might not be there for more than a few months, so they really don't care about the well-being of the animals and are only willing to do what they are told by the people in charge. Those that are willing to understand usually do so when the subject matter is braught up pollitely. Those who don't care will continue to not care no matter how the subject is braught up.

Some stores are different, and there is a local store I know of that has the most receptive employees to new ideas that I've seen. It's usually the smaller stores that are likely to listen. Big stores like Petsmart and Petco are the ones with a much faster turnover rate in employees, giving the problem that even if one person changes the tanks for the better, the next person to fill the spot may not follow that example.

I write it to the company about it. Petco will actually listen by the way. If you are polite about voicing your concerns... they will make an effort to change. It is all store by store though.

The Petco by me feeds the snails zucchini and algae wafers now. Definately a step up from not feeding them and making them eat plants. They also have their own tank too.

The Petsmart near me feeds the snails zucchini. They still need some guidance... but it is a start. They began that as one of their former employees got some snails of their own.

The huge LFS chains are trying to project the image that they are in it for the animals. Use that edge when you voice your concerns.